Samaritans lends an ear at well being roadshow in Sheffield

Samaritans volunteers and Sheffield City Council staff will be meeting local residents on Thursday 16 August. The charity will be running a roadshow, sharing wellbeing tips and highlighting the support available to anyone in the community who may not be coping.

The roadshow will run from 10am to 5pm, with Samaritans volunteers providing emotional support in the We Listen trailer in Barkers Pool, Sheffield.

Local mental health charities, Sheffield Mind and Sheffield Flourish are also setting up a stall to raise awareness of their local support and advice services.

Jane Hewitt, volunteer and Director of Samaritans’ Sheffield Branch said: “As Samaritans volunteers, we know how much listening to someone at a low point can help them feel less alone. It makes them more able to deal with difficult thoughts and feelings, and gives them the time and space to reflect and move on.

“Not everyone will feel ready or able to talk to family, friends or colleagues, but the more we promote what good listening is, and how you encourage others to talk, the more we hope people will open up to someone they trust before they reach crisis point.

“We’re here to listen and support, no matter what you’re dealing with. We’re pleased to have the opportunity to talk with shoppers, visitors and local people, to let them know that anyone can contact Samaritans for free. We’re grateful to Sheffield City Council and everyone involved for helping us to spread the word about support services in the area.”

People will have the opportunity to fill in a ‘Thank You for Listening’ postcard for someone who has listened to them when they needed them to. The cards will be available at the roadshow.

Sheffield City Council’s Councillor Jackie Drayton said: “We want Sheffield to be a place where everyone feels confident to talk about mental health openly and honestly, knowing that there are people there to listen and help.

“We are delighted to be working in partnership with Samaritans to support this valuable event. The We Listen trailer is a great way to find out more about the fantastic work Samaritans does and the wellbeing support its volunteers provide.”

Samaritans hosts a range of outreach events every year throughout the UK and Ireland to raise awareness of the charity and encourage people to seek help before reaching crisis point.

Anyone can contact Samaritans any time, for free, from any phone on 116 123, even a mobile without credit. The number will not show up on your phone bill. You can also email jo@samaritans.org or go to www.samaritans.org to find details of your nearest branch where you can talk to one of our trained volunteers face to face.